We’re back! It’s been a while since our last few newsletters, where we shared our new name, our impact report, the school behavioral health survey results, and that we were growing and hiring. And wow, have we been busy! 

We missed you and we are excited to let you in on all of the amazing things that have been happening. Come along for the journey we’ve been on for the past few months.

The Quarterly Update

The Mapping Project

Our journey begins with launching a project that we started last year. 

We know that there are so many incredible organizations doing work for young people in New Orleans. And we know educators and community members are eager to get support in these challenging times as we navigate the inequities exacerbated by COVID. 

But where to start in selecting the right partnerships can be so challenging to navigate. Well, hopefully not anymore! 

We want to make the experience of matching your needs with community services a little easier! After surveys and countless interviews with nonprofit leaders in the city, our team began to map out what types of services each organization is providing. 

This “mapping project” compiles a list of who provides services and at what level. Say goodbye to the days of trying to find the right combination of words to plug into Google in order to find what you are looking for!

To view the initial results from Phase 1 of the Mapping Project, click the link or check out our website at cforcs.org.

Phase 2 of the project is currently underway! So stay tuned because there is so much more to come.

New Team Members

While many people in the education sphere try to spend their summers enjoying the outdoors, unwinding from a busy year, and recharging, the Coalition was busy on their journey to hire new staff!

If you saw our April newsletter, you know that we were seeking great talent to join our team. After sifting through dozens of applications for our positions, the team began interviewing to fill the roles of a Theory-to-Practice Fellow, Dissemination Coordinator, Youth Engagement Fellow and Cross-Sector Engagement Coordinator.

We are so excited to announce who filled these roles and introduce you to the excellence they bring to our team.

Trauma-Informed Schools Training of Trainers Project

With four new team members ready to get to work, the Coalition’s journey continues with preparing for what the beginning of the school year would bring. 

Our Training of Trainers (ToT) project welcomed two new schools into the 2023 - 24 cohort. Please join us in welcoming KIPP Leadership Primary and Lafayette Academy into this work of building a trauma-informed school system in New Orleans.

The ToT team led introductory trainings on trauma and healing in schools for the entire school staff in July and August. Since then, the leadership teams at these two schools have been getting deeper into the work.

Our first full cohort meeting in August was quite the kickoff event. Thanks to our hosts at the Tate, Etienne and Prevost Center, housed in the former McDonogh 19 building, we spent the day learning about the history of education in New Orleans and why we need trauma-informed schools in the city.

Check out the video highlights of this training below to get immersed in the journey we have been on. And to learn more about our ToT program, visit our website.

Researchers of Creative Change (ROCC)

Our journey this year is also taking us back to our research roots with schools. But this time, we have a different audience.

Teams of middle school students at ReNEW Schaumburg, ReNEW Laurel, and Lafayette Academy are paired up with Dr. Jesse Chanin and her student interns from Tulane University to conduct youth participatory action research (YPAR). The students will learn about conducting research, developing a research question, and investigating a topic that they see as important for their school. Finally, they will take action based on their research findings to make positive change in their schools.

We look forward to sharing the results of ROCC’s research with you in the future. Please extend a thank you to our school partners because we are so grateful for their participation in raising up young people’s voices.

Community Training

The final stop on our current journey brings us to an upcoming event we hope you can join. 

We are hosting our first ever community training event. This free event is open to any K-8 educators and leaders interested in learning more about trauma and trauma-informed practices.

What are you waiting for? Scan the QR code or visit this link to get more information and register now!

Social Media Presence

But the journey doesn’t end here! Did you know the Coalition is on social media now? We are excited to bring our resources, tools and knowledge to this virtual space. If you aren’t following us yet, take a moment now to click the links below and be a part of our continued journey together.

Resource Roundup

If you’re ready to start your own journey, we want to give you some tools and resources in our newsletters to make that happen. As you consider what direction to take your trauma-informed journey, our Readiness Tool can help you get started and know where your capacity is to take on this work.

You can read about the tool or view a webinar about it on our website here. To access a PDF version of the tool, click here.

Membership Corner

Stay tuned for our future newsletters where we will expand upon the journey of our Coalition with highlights from member organizations and the great work they are doing. 

In the meantime, check out LinkTree to visit our members' websites and follow them on social media as well!

Recognitions

We are so excited to recognize two of our individual Coalition members for their outstanding work in the community and the journeys that they are undertaking, as well as one partner organization.

Congratulations to Dr. Allisyn Swift for being named as a Kellogg Fellow. The fellowship supports local leaders to connect, grow and lead transformational change toward a more equitable society. View this recognition and learn more about the fellowship here.

Congratulations to Dr. Courtney Baker for being honored with the Award for Psychology in the Public Interest. View this recognition in The Psychology Times.

Our partners at Volunteers of America recently received a SAMHSA grant to support their work. They are accepting referrals and applicants to help children cope with trauma by receiving treatment and services. Visit their website to learn more about their work and find out how to make a service referral.

May your journeys be well and we will update you again in the winter on where our adventures have taken us,

- The Coalition for Compassionate Schools Team